Heteroaggregation of virions with microplastics reduces the number of active bacteriophages in aqueous environments

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of microplastics on the viability of the bacteriophages in an aqueous environment. Bacteriophages (phages), i.e., viruses of bacteria, are essential in homeostasis. It is estimated that phages cause up to 40% of the death of all bacteria daily. Any factor affecting phage activity is vital for the whole food chain and the ecology of numerous niches. We hypothesize that the number of active phages decreases due to the virions’ adsorption on microplastic particles or by the released leachables from additives used in the production of plastic, e.g., stabilizers, plasticizers, colorants, and reinforcements. We exposed three diverse phages, namely T4 (tailed), MS2 (icosahedral), and M13 (filamentous), to 1 mg/mL suspension of twelve industrial-grade plastics [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), poly-ε-caproamide (PA6), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly(methyl me..., We built a database of the physicochemical variables based on the literature (i.e., density, zeta potential, contact angle) and our experimental data (i.e., BET measurements, wetting angle). We also modified them by considering their functions (i.e., tanh x, x2), binary representations (i.e., hydrophobic/hydrophilic), or synergy effects (interactions between the variables). For all the details, see the Database file. Supporting information contains detailed descriptions of the variable selection, construction of the model, and diagnoses of the selected models., Microsoft Office - Excel program (or alternatives) is required.Â